Women's Basketball at NR/RV Seton Hall for Saturday Matinee

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Rams (1-0) hit the road for the first time of the new season this Saturday for a New Jersey matinee, at NR/RV Seton Hall (1-0). Tip-off from Walsh Gymnasium is set for 11:30 a.m.
 
Last Time Out
Senior transfer Asiah Dingle balled out in her Fordham debut on Tuesday night, powering the Rams to a 79-71 overtime win over Quinnipiac with 34 points and six steals. The Boston native shot 11-of-17 from the field and 11-of-13 from the line with six boards and three assists over 40 minutes. Outside of a stretch late in the second quarter when the visitors couldn't miss, allowing them to take a five-point lead into halftime, Fordham controlled the tempo of the game. It took a last-gasp heave from the Bobcats with a few seconds left to force overtime but a Kendell Heremaia bucket kicked the extra period off and the Rams never looked back. Anna DeWolfe chipped in 17 points, a career-high five steals, and four dimes, while Kaitlyn Downey posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, and freshman Millie Prior, making her debut and starting, grabbed nine of 10 boards on the offensive glass, adding seven points, two steals, and a block. Read the entire game recap here.
 
Series History
This will be the 12th meeting between the two schools and first since 2015, a 66-54 win for the Pirates when they were receiving votes in both national polls. Fordham is 1-5 in South Orange, including that most recent meeting, with the Rams' last win coming on neutral ground in 2003.
 
Preseason Poll
Fordham has been predicted to finish third in the annual Atlantic 10 preseason coaches poll, totaling 163 points among the 14 head coaches, just behind Dayton (193) and Rhode Island (174). The Rams return four of their five starters and 91% of their scoring from a year ago, while adding senior transfer Asiah Dingle and Australian U19 international Millie Prior. Anna DeWolfe, the reigning Co-Player of the Year, was selected to the preseason All-Conference First Team, while Kendell Heremaia was named to the Second Team.
 
Post Tune-Up
The Rams hosted Post University in exhibition play last week, defeating the Eagles, 84-44. DeWolfe looked to be midseason form, scoring 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Asiah Dingle racked up 14 points, six steals, four assists, and two rebounds over a team-high 25 minutes. Freshman Millie Prior scored 13 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting with six boards, while the trio of Downey, Jonassen, and Nyborg all chipped in 10 points apiece.
 
Gaitley's "Most Challenging" Nonconference Schedule Yet
Fordham women's basketball head coach Stephanie Gaitley has called this year's nonconference slate her "most challenging" of any of her teams in her career. The season began against the predicted MAAC champions, Quinnipiac, a four-time league champion since moving from the NEC in 2013, and features six programs either ranked in at least one national poll or receiving votes: Seton Hall and Houston received votes in the coaches poll, Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Florida Gulf Coast received votes in both, and Baylor is #7/8 to begin the year. Notre Dame and Baylor are former multi-time NCAA champions, as well. Not to mention PAC-12 contenders Arizona State, last year's America East champions, Stony Brook, and a Princeton team that, although hasn't played a game in two years, was the most recent Ivy League champions with a 26-1 overall record.
 
Hungry Like DeWolfe
Last year's Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year, junior captain Anna DeWolfe became the third Ram to average over 20 points per game in program history, finishing with 20.8 for the season, which ranked 22nd in the country, one of seven underclassmen in the top-25. The Cumberland, Maine native was also 25th in the nation with 37.3 minutes played per game and 29th with 2.7 threes per game. DeWolfe is up to 796 points for her career with an average of 15.6 over her first 51 contests at Fordham, all starts, beginning with her first collegiate game against #16 Notre Dame at home in front of a sold out Rose Hill Gym where she nearly triple-doubled (10 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists) in a close five-point loss to the Irish.
 
The 5'9 guard shot 41.0% from the floor a year ago, 38.3% from behind the arc, and 81.2% from the charity stripe. She is a 41.8% overall career shooter, 34.7% from deep, and 82.4% from the line, with averages of 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She was a three-time A-10 Rookie of the Week honoree and a member of the All-Rookie team after leading all freshmen in minutes played (1,152) and earned all the aforementioned accolades in March.
 
Nationally Speaking
Per-game statistics took on even more significance last year during the ongoing pandemic. The Rams had the 31st-stingiest defense in the country, allowing just 57.4 points, and were 22nd in rebounding margin (+7.6), 44th in three-point percentage (35.0%), 27th in threes per game (8.4), and 51st with just 14.9 fouls committed per game.
 
At the individual level, DeWolfe's 20.8 points per game ranked 22nd in the country and 25th in minutes played (37.3). Downey was 11th in the nation with 8.5 defensive rebounds per game and 35th with 10.2 overall boards per contest. Megan Jonassen was 20th overall and second in the A-10 with 3.9 offensive rebounds per game, as well.
 
This Is Our House
Since Gaitley took over before the 2011-12 season, the Rams hold a 121-33 (79.0%) record at home across 154 contests. Over the last four-plus seasons, the Rams are 65-12 in the Rose Hill Gym, including a 34-6 mark in conference play and three straight Holiday Classic crowns. Fordham is currently riding six straight wins in the Bronx.
 
3 and D
Stephanie Gaitley's Rams have dominated the all-time top-10 for scoring defense, holding nine of the 10 spots with the 2008-09 squad holding the record with just 47.9 points allowed per game. Fordham was 31st nationally last season with 57.4 points allowed per game. Gaitley's Rams have held opponents under 50 points 91 times in 314 games (29.0%) and hold an 84-7 record in those contests.
 
Similarly, Gaitley's Rams are all over the top-10 for three-pointers made. In fact, they hold every spot in the top-seven, with the 2018-19 squad breaking the 2013-14 title-winning Rams' record by 23 (267 total). They also set the record for attempts with a whopping 826. Last year's team was on pace to finish sixth, shooting 36.8% as a group before the WNIT, but poor shooting in the final two games dropped them to 11th in program history at 35.0%.
 
Up Next
The Rams remain on the road for next Thursday evening's trip to RV/RV Notre Dame. Tip-off from Purcell Pavilion is set for 7 p.m.